About this blog
Alexa Ispas
Welcome to my blog. It is meant for those of you who want to make a positive difference in this world, and who are prepared to accept all the good and bad things that come with this decision. I hope my blog can help get you started, and motivate you to keep going when things get tough.
I am continually trying to improve the quality of the blog posts. If you’ve got suggestions about how to make this blog better and what you’d like me to write about, I’d love to hear from you.
I would also like to hear your story, what makes you want to create legacy and what your plans are. I hope we will have a great journey together.
You can contact me at blog [at] alexaispas.com
About Alexa
Originally born and raised in Romania, I came to the UK aged 18 to study psychology and sociology at the University of Edinburgh. I became fascinated with social psychology and completed both an MPhil and a PhD in this discipline. Click here for further details about my specific research interests and expertise.
While undertaking my postgraduate degrees, I also caught the entrepreneurship bug. I set up Research is Cool, a social enterprise company that helps researchers around the world connect with each other and find relevant vacancies. The company has won four awards within its first year, and the website is currently used by researchers from over 125 countries.
I have since joined the management board of two other companies, and have contributed to several other social enterprise projects. In particular, over the past few years I have served as a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament; member of the Edinburgh Youth Council; Senior Coordinator for the EFPSA Research Network; member of The Psychologist Policy Committee; and as press officer and later webmistress of the Social Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society.
My efforts at creating legacy have been recognised through a number of awards within different areas of activity. In the field of research, I have received awards and/or fellowships from: ORSAS; Open Society Institute; The Stapley Trust; the British Psychological Society; the European Sociological Association; the School of Psychology at Cardiff University; and The Australian National University. My entrepreneurial endeavours have led to being the recipient of the Abbey Santander Entrepreneurial Award in 2008, and the Prince’s Trust ‘Young Entrepreneur’ Award in 2009. In addition, my contributions to UK society have been rewarded with the Wales International Student of the Year Award in 2006, and the Scotland International Student of the Year Award in 2009, both organised by the British Council.
I am currently an ambassador for Enterprise UK, and a contributor to the Innovation and Entrepreneurship course at the University of Edinburgh. I am also a founding member of Scottish Filmmakers, with the aim to foster a vibrant culture of film-making and acting in Scotland.
My goal in writing this blog is to help more people make their mark on the world by creating legacy. The advice I provide is based on the wide range of experiences I have gathered while working on my own legacy projects, but also on insights from social psychology as well as from books and inviduals I have encountered along the way. If you are someone who would like to take on an ambitious project and need help to get started, I’d love to hear from you.
